


In Circles

by lunarinsanity



Series: Dancing on Tiptoes [1]
Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-30 19:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5176121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarinsanity/pseuds/lunarinsanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Idle afternoons make for good practice in self-control.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Circles

**Author's Note:**

> i have decided that, during my break, i'm going to try and write one drabble / oneshot a day for this much loved pairing.

Slowly, so _slowly_ , a gentle breeze swaying, flutters past the curtains, letting sunlight filter through. Chill, so light, only barely tickling the skin. Its remnants linger in the air, cling to the last of its power from the past months, only bearing to wither away once it is touched by its one true match, the heat emanating out from the window. Inside the room it is stifling hot, of course it would destroy any trace of the cold. A fire flickers and flares in the stove. It bears its fangs and makes the meek winter brisk withdraw into hibernation. No longer will the inhabitants suffer from winter’s cruelty, for now there was only the embrace of spring.

There, inside the room, gold lacquer reflecting shiny firelight, sat Hakuyuu at his desk, his fingers idly twirling soft crimson between them. A game, they’re playing a game with this piece, back and forth. Relaxing, the first prince enjoys the muttered “Y-Your Highness!” and “Please, H-Hakuyuu…” coming from his younger cousin, Kouen, who is sitting beside him in the most ridiculously straight posture he could muster, constrained by social etiquette to be as uptight and respectful as possible. He has an even more ridiculous expression on his face. Come to think of it, wasn’t Kouen always making these strangely serious faces that didn’t fit his young features?

Try as he may to hold it in, he has to chuckle. Slight, barely making any motions on his face, it escapes his lips and he presses a hand to his mouth to avoid it drawing attention. Kouen’s face only flushes further. God this is just ludicrous. Kouen is just too serious.

“Your Highness, what is so funny?” comes Kouen’s admonishing response.

Hakuyuu simply smiles. “You are, Kouen.”

A sputter. “You called me into your chambers so that you could play with my hair? Not that I mind but, I have to wonder what is going through your mind at this time!”

Ever curious, Kouen stares at him, trying not to squirm in his seat. Hakuyuu thinks that maybe he will tease the younger prince just a little bit more, for nothing was more entertaining than making Kouen nervous, which it seemed he always was over something or another. Though it worried him he didn’t pursue the issue. Right now they were enjoying each other’s company. If Kouen did not confide in him he had no reason to bring it up.

“You misunderstand. I called you into my chambers so that I may spend time with you.” He gives Kouen a mock hurt expression. “Unless that is interfering with your daily duties?”

And now Kouen really is panicking. He is immediately bowing and apologizing profusely. His face is even redder than his hair. Hakuyuu laughs a lot this time, all the while a glimmer in his eye focused on the sincerity display in front of him. It was times like these that made Hakuyuu fall even deeper in love with his loyal retainer.

Because he is. He is so in love with Kouen’s ideals and his expressions and his loyalty and just _him_ , God. What did he do to deserve such fealty? He was but a humble prince who had a humble dream of uniting the world. This wasn’t anything original. If they were talking ingenuity Hakuyuu’s ideology wasn’t much. But it was Kouen’s unwavering belief in that ideology that inspired Hakuyuu to do more, as much as he possibly could, so much more until he had no more to offer. Kouen giving all his efforts in earnest made Hakuyuu want to give the same.

Teasing Kouen as he did, it was in gratefulness, gratefulness to Kouen for putting up with a prince like him who overworked himself and was so distant sometimes and who had troubles expressing himself at all.

Eventually they manage to establish a working pace again.

All there was now was the raging fire in the stove, excited and lively, and the crackling chill in the air, breathing down his neck and making his skin prickle. That’s all he could focus on. If he focused on anything else his gaze would inevitably fall back on Kouen’s small, pursed lips, his heavy brow bone, his curved nose, his jawline which was defining itself as he grew into a young adult.

“Kouen.”

Kouen looks up from his own paperwork and flushes. Hakuyuu’s voice is low, his gaze intense. Why is Hakuyuu staring at him like that? “Yes Your Highness?”

Hakuyuu’s hand grasps Kouen’s. His thumb rubs over the top of Kouen’s hand, and he notes how soft the skin is. Everything about Kouen is smooth and soft, at least, compared to Hakuyuu’s callouses and edges and sharp aloofness. It was wrong, wasn’t it? To think this way of Kouen? Kouen was every bit as rough as Hakuyuu with none of the grace. He was just that, a giant coal lump ready to spark fire at every opportunity. Still, he was soft. Gentle with children and gentle with his own work.

Kouen seems to take this as another form of teasing, and he has to look away with his hand covering his mouth and his eyebrows knitted together. It is this expression that sends Hakuyuu’s self-control teetering dangerously close to the edge of being thrown right out the window.

“Your Highness _please_. I can’t… I c-can’t concentrate with you distracting me.”

“Oh-ho, are you saying I’m a good distraction for you, Kouen?”

“Wh-what?! Your Highness that’s not what I meant!”

Hakuyuu laughs again. And again. And again. They go in circles like this every so often, back and forth, swaying with each other the same way the wind swayed in and out of the window. Hakuyuu crept forward just slightly, like the wind, and Kouen burst back a hundred fold, like the stove fire. This is how they spend their afternoons, pretending that they are doing their work and trying not to focus too hard on how their hearts wanted to burst at the seams.


End file.
